


Meet Me Underneath the Cherry Blossoms

by bcnedrah



Series: Meet Me Series [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Artist!Magnus, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Alec Lightwood, Let's go to Tokyo!, M/M, Misuse of St. Patrick Day items, hot Head!Magnus, shadowhunters au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 11:33:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14670210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnedrah/pseuds/bcnedrah
Summary: When Magnus Bane is contracted to do an art installation in Tokyo, he’s moving full speed ahead with the project. Alec Lightwood can’t help feeling left behind in the dust of Magnus’s creativity. While he and Magnus have enjoyed each other’s company since Valentine’s Day, it’s not like they were ever dating. Were they?





	Meet Me Underneath the Cherry Blossoms

Alec twirled the stem of the chilled glass of white wine between his fingers and wondered, not for the first time that night, what the hell he was doing here. Here being the opening night of the Tokyo Modern Art Exhibit located in the Sumida Park. He was a part-time security guard who was going to school for his criminal justice degree. He should be at home studying, not standing around nodding politely to random strangers. He kept pulling nervously at the cuffs of an overpriced suit, constantly searching for his… well he wasn’t sure what Magnus was.

He was dating  _ Magnus Bane _ . Modern artist extraordinaire. The man had his artwork featured in textbooks and somehow thought it was a good idea to date him, Alec Lightwood. Well, they weren’t quite dating, he guessed with a deep sigh. Magnus was one to buck social standards with everything he did and Alec didn’t expect him to be any different when it came to how he approached dating. But for Alec, being around Magnus was fun and something he desperately wanted more of, he was coming to realize ruefully. Just… any time he could spend with Magnus. 

But, he thought grimly, it wasn’t as if Magnus was always looking to spend time with Alec. Alec knew Magnus enjoyed his company, but it wasn’t as if he sought it out. More, Magnus treated it as a happy coincidence if the two of them happened to be able to spend time together. Magnus was one who preferred to live in the moment. 

And living in the moment had brought Magnus to Tokyo, as one of the main artist for the exhibit. And stupidly, Alec thought as he looked around at the crowd, he’d followed Magnus on a whim without the other man knowing. A passing Japanese woman gave him a small smile, which he returned with a sharp nod, the light catching the green sequins of her dress pulled at his memory.

* * *

_ Alec took the stairs up to Magnus’s loft two at a time, cursing the fact that Jace had chosen that day to run late to his shift. It was fricking St. Patrick’s Day in downtown New York City and he’d thought that taking a taxi from his one night stand the day before was a smart thing to do. Alec had to stay over his shift by two hours, fight through drunken crowds and the subway system to get home and changed, and then do it all again to make his way to Brooklyn. And now the hour hand on his watch was creeping closer to nine than the six he had Magnus had agreed to meet at for dinner. _

_ When he stood in front of Magnus’s door, he took a moment to catch his breath, hands on knees, before he straightened up with a groan and knocked on the front door. The sight that greeted him left him flabbergasted and had him having to bite back laughter.  _

_ Magnus stood on the other side of the doorway decked out in some of the gaudiest St. Patrick’s Day gear he’d ever seen. A garish green, felt top hat rested on a green spiked coif, a fake beard that was more orange than red hung loosely from both of his ears, and his clothes had seemed to be lost - or never put on - as the only items he wore were white briefs with green lining and socks decorated in rainbows and pots of gold. Magnus had taken it upon himself to paint the words “Happy St. Paddy’s Day” across his stomach in bright neon, green paint. Magnus cocked his hip and the devilish smile creeping out from underneath his beard, daring Alec to say something. _

_ “Wow,” Alec said, waving to Magnus, “you look… very, um… festive!” _

_ Magnus scoffed with laughter, but moved out of the way to let Alec into the apartment.  _

_ “So, I take it you’ve joined the crowds already today?” Alec asked as he shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the hooks next to the door.  _

_ “I had an early dinner with Cat and Raphael once I got your text. Sadly, neither of them were willing to partake in green beers with me. Catarina mentioned something about not drinking what she’d have to step around later tonight.” _

_ “Oh, she’s working tonight? That sucks.” _

_ “Hmm. I suppose.” _

_ Alec turned at the nonchalant tone in Magnus’s voice and had to stop and stare at Magnus’s back. He’d somehow managed to convince Catarina or Raphael to help him as the words “Buy Me a Beer First!” were painted in the same green paint as his front. But what really caused Alec to sputter with laughter was the words “Irish you were inside of me” stretched across the curve of Magnus’s ass. Magnus shot Alec a coy grin over his shoulder at the other man’s laughter. _

_ “I’m sorry,” Alec gasped with laughter, brushing tears out of his eyes and waving in Magnus’s general direction. “I can’t take you seriously like this.” _

_ “Never take me seriously, darling,” Magnus winked at him. Standing next to his minibar, he shook his shaker at Alec. “Are we going out and joining the revelry or are we making our own here?” _

_ Alec licked his lips at the dark promise of a sensual night spent underneath the other man. Crossing the room to stand in front of Magnus, Alec ran a finger down Magnus’s rib cage, delighting in the shiver that followed his touch. He watched where his finger played with the green elastic of Magnus’s briefs before looking up at Magnus with his own dark promises. “So… do you really Irish I was inside of you?” _

_ Magnus made a noise deep in his throat, caught somewhere between a moan and a snort, pulling Alec into a kiss by the back of his neck that was a mix of lips, teeth, and… hair? Alec pulled back, sputtering as he plucked fibers from the beard off of his tongue. Next to him Magnus’s shoulders shook with amusement, but at Alec’s mutinous glare, Magnus threw back his head with laughter. Eyes crinkled and teared with mirth as Magnus brought up a hand to haphazardly hide his smile. Alec narrowed his eyes and batted Magnus’s hand away.  _

_ “Alec, I’m sorry-” _

_ Alec shook his head and yanked the beard off of Magnus’s face. He cut off Magnus’s wheezing apology with a kiss, this one drawing everything that was Magnus - his laughter, the warmth of his skin, the man that lived by his own rules - deep into a part of Alec. A place where he knew he would keep this moment treasured for all time. A moment to point back to and say, this was when I was young and alive and in love. Alec pulled back from the kiss at that thought, chasing the taste of Magnus on his lips and stroking the other man’s cheek until dark brown eyes met his.  _

_ “I think I’ve had enough of other people, today. Drunken idiots or not.” A beam of pride struck through him at Magnus’s snicker. “Why don’t you and I have our own St. Patrick Day’s party.” _

_ “Well..” drawled Magnus as he looped his arms around Alec’s shoulders, tugging slightly to lead him to the bedroom, “I’ve always been one for parties.” _

  
  


_ The next morning, the rattling of tea cups as a tray was set on the nightstand next to him slowly brought Alec back to the land of the living, but he wasn’t quite ready to open his eyes. He could smell a mixture of black tea and strong coffee - tea for Magnus and coffee for him - a smile tugging at his lips as he sighed. He wanted to remain here in the warmth and stillness of early morning with a handsome man at his side. He felt the bed dip signalling Magnus’s return. The quick jab to his hip with a foot was not the good morning welcome he was expecting.  _

_ When Alec’s eyes flew open to stare at the other man. Magnus was grinning down at him saucely, one leg tucked underneath him while the other was resting innocently at his hip.  _

_ “I’m kicking you out.” Magnus nudged Alec’s hip with his foot a couple of times for good measure. _

_ Alec groaned softly and caught Magnus’s foot against his side, fingers wrapping loosely around the ankle to stroke at the skin there, turned amber in the morning sun. “Don’t wanna.” _

_ Magnus grinned at the sleep-gravely voice, leaning forward to pass the coffee over to Alec. He sat up in order not to spill hot coffee over himself, settling back amongst the pillows. Magnus claimed the tea for himself, a cheshire grin forming around the rim as he took a sip. “I’m afraid you must, darling. I’ve got a meeting. And as much as I like you in my bed, I’m not leaving you alone in my apartment.” _

_ Alecc quirked an eyebrow. “You like me in your bed… naked.” _

_ “Hmm, lovely counter, Alexander,” Magnus replied, taking a large pull of his tea, “but this meeting is too important. I won’t allow you to distract me with sex.” He leaned over to place the tea cup back on the tray. “Which means you, my dear, have to take this gorgeous body,” the quick slap to Alec’s abs turned to absentminded petting, “and leave.” _

_ “I guess I can’t argue with that.” Alec licked his lips before asking over the rim of his cup, “Do I at least get a shower before I’m forced to leave?” _

_ Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, “I suppose.” _

_ Alec chuckled and Magnus joined him. The amusement in Alec’s eyes slowly turned to a smoulder. “Will you be joining me in the shower?” _

_ Magnus crossed his wrists over Alec’s stomach and rested his chin on them. “If I join you in the shower, we’ll both be late.” _

_ Alec gave Magus a small pout who responded by blowing him a kiss. Alec scrunched his nose playfully as Magnus watched him drink his coffee. Once he was done, he set the cup back on the tray. Trailing fingers across Magnus’s shoulders, he asked, “Are you sure I can’t convince you to join me?” _

_ Magnus watched Alec’s fingers running up and down his skin in contemplation before seemingly coming to a decision. Giving Alec a wicked wink, he leaned forward to press his mouth against muscles molded over with skin. Alec took a swift intake, every muscle in his body tuned in to what Magnus would do next. Dancing eyes stared into his when Magnus gave him a decidedly unsexy wet lick across his stomach.  _

_ “Ugh, Magnus!” _

_ Magnus rolled off Alec with a laugh, who scrambled out of the bed and towards the bathroom.  _

_ “Ugh, that was, ugh seriously?” _

_ “Got you out of bed!” _

_ Alec rolled his eyes in fond exasperation as he stomped off toward the shower.  _

 

_ The following day, Alec paused in front of Magnus’s apartment . The front door had been left open a couple of inches, instantly putting Alec on high alert. Opening the door wider, but not stepping into the apartment, he called out, “Magnus? Hello?” _

_ When no answer came, Alec ventured carefully into the apartment, looking for any sign of the owner. He stuck his head into the bedroom, listening for the sounds of the shower, but heard none. “Magnus?” _

_ Still not receiving an answer, he made his way back to the living room when he heard a dull thump. Following the sound back to where he knew Magnus’s workshop was, he poked his head in and breathed a sigh of relief. Magnus was sitting at a work table, humming along to the music drifting out from his wireless earbuds and consulting a notebook as he leafed through sketches on oversized tracing paper. Alec knock on the doorjamb to get Magnus’s attention, but the music was too loud or the older man was too focused on the drawings in front of him or a combination of both to hear him.  _

_ Alec carefully made his way around the work room, skirting a life-sized blob of clay sitting on plywood and a mismatched ornate table, to wave his hand in Magnus’s field of vision. Magnus startled, but calmed down once he recognized Alec. Pulling his earpods out, he smiled up at Alec. “Well, hello. This is a nice surprise.” _

_ “Your front door was left wide open.” _

_ “Hmm, was it now?” Magnus mused as he stretched his arms over his head. “Chairman must have wanted to go out.”  _

_ “Chairman-” Alec stopped the beginning of a tirade, taking a deep sigh. “This is New York, Magnus. You can’t just walk around leaving your front door open.” _

_ “I didn’t leave it open. Chairman Meow did. He does that every now and again. He’s a very smart cat.” _

_ Alec rubbed at the tension gathering at his temples. “Magnus, what if someone besides me had walked in here. You could have been robbed or killed. Hell, you didn’t even hear me come in.” _

_ “But it was you, Alexander,” Magnus replied, standing up and cupping Alec’s cheek to brush a kiss across his lips. “I had nothing to worry about.” _

_ Alec stared dumbfounded at Magnus’s nonchalance. With a small smile and a pat on his cheek, Magnus turned back to his drawings. “So what brings you here today, darling?” _

_ It took Alec a moment to get his mouth working again. “I got done with class for the day. We agreed to meet up and grab some dinner.” _

_ “Oh, was that today? I must have lost track of time.” Magnus glanced at the clock on the wall squinting at it. “Is that the right time?” _

_ Alec checked and sighed. “No, it’s an hour behind. Did you not change it when daylight savings started?” _

_ Magnus shrugged, turning back to his notebook. “Didn’t seem like a priority at the time. Ha, at the time,” he chuckled at his own joke as he pulled a thick tome over, flipping it open to what looked like copies of old, Japanese woodprints. “Unfortunately, I will need to take a rain check.” _

_ “But I had specifically requested off today. Because you wanted to take me to that Moroccan place.”  _

_ Magnus looked over at him when his voice cracked. Alec hated how his voice had wavered, fragile with disappointment. Magnus sighed and stepped over to Alec, rubbing reassuring hands up and down his arms. “I know, Alec. I’m disappointed too. But we’ll go there,” he said, dark brown eyes catching hazel with expectant raised eyebrows, “sometime soon, okay?’ _

_ Spinning on his heel, Magnus grabbed a gold item from the ornate table and compared it to the sketches. Alec felt something go cold and harden within him at the movement. Apparently, he had been dismissed. _

_ “If you don’t want me here, you could have just said so,” he said softly, his voice carrying the cold harshness he felt in his bones. “I’m not a child, Magnus.” _

_ “Then stop acting like one!” Magnus whirled on him, slamming a hand on the counter. “I’m working, Alec, in my work room. I don’t have time to entertain you right now.” _

_ Alec held up a hand, cutting him off. “Entertain me?” _

_ Magnus scoffed, marching back to a filing cabinet shoved in a corner. He yanked open the top drawer and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Shoving the paperwork against Alec’s chest, forcing him to take them, Magnus glared at him.  _

_ “Yes, entertain you. My meeting yesterday? It resulted in this.” Magnus pointed to the papers. Alec scanned over them, the words Tokyo Modern Art Exhibit bolded at the top of the page. “That’s my contract. I am one of ten artists in the entire world, and only one of two non-Japanese artists, asked to join. But I have a damned short deadline to complete an entire themed series for them. I have less than a week to have my ideas and sketches before I need to fly out for a month long artists’ retreat prior to the exhibit. So yes, right now, I don’t have the time.” _

_ Alec’s hands shook slightly as he gave the paperwork back to Magnus. “Um, congratulations.” _

_ Magnus’s thanks was more bitter than grateful. He returned the paperwork to its proper folder, closing the file cabinet drawer.  _

_ “Is there any chance of us meeting up again before you go?” _

_ “I don’t think so, Alec.” _

_ Every muscles in Magnus’s back was tense and he refused to look at Alec as he spoke. Alec tried once more. “And when you get back?” _

_ “ I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” _

_ At that point, Alec was fed up. Every time he had tried to get through to Magnus, he’d been rebuffed and pushed aside. He was sure the two of them had something good between them, even if Magnus didn’t. But he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. _

_ “What do you want from me?” he snapped at Magnus. He knew he had to look half-wild, hair tugged at in frustration and determined to know the truth. _

_ Magnus slowly turned around, staring at him straight ahead. In a still voice, he said, “At the moment, nothing.” _

_ Alec stood there for a moment, stunned. If Magnus had wanted to carve out his heart, the sculpting knife on the table would have been a better tool. Wordlessly, Alec made his way out of the work room and into the living room. He half-way processed Chairman Meow lifting his head up where it rested on his paws, having created at perch on the back of the couch. Stumbling out of the apartment, Alec made sure to close the door behind him. The catch of the latch sounded like the final nail in a coffin far more than he would have liked. _   
  
  


_ Two and a half weeks later, Alec had googled information on the Tokyo Modern Art Exhibit, Magnus Bane, and flights from NYC to Tokyo more than he’d like to admit. Even though Magnus had essentially called whatever they had quits, Alec couldn’t get him out of his head. And part of him was desperate for any snippet of information on the other man he could get.  _

_ Alec scrubbed a hand over his face as he tried to make sense of airport abbreviations and layover times once again. Non-stop flights ran too expensive for a struggling college student and layovers that lasted nearly 24 hours looked to be the traveler’s version of hell to Alec. When numbers and letters began to swim in front of him, Alec dropped back on his bed with a groan, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes to relieve the pressure there. _

_ “Alec?” _

_ Alec lifted one hand and looked over at his sister in the doorway. Her usual body-con attire and full face of makeup had been replaced with a messy bun, pajama pants, and was that his old high school hoodie? Shrugging at the inevitable loss of his hoodie, Alec waved a hand in a greeting to Izzy. “Hey Iz. Did I accidently wake you up?” _

_ “Nope,” she said, popping the p, as she shook her head with a smile. Examining her brother’s despondent body language and the laptop blaring blue light on his face, she took a step into his bedroom. “Porn never leaves anyone looking - or sounding - like you do.” Izzy dodged the pillow Alec lunged at her with a gleeful laugh. “What’s got you so twisted up about?” _

_ Alec rolled his head to contemplate his sister before realizing she had found a juicy bone and wasn’t letting go of it. Sitting up with a groan, he gestured to his laptop. “I was looking up flights... for Tokyo.” _

_ Izzy bounced onto the bed, ear-to-ear grin on her face. “To go see Magnus?” _

_ “I- I never said I was going to go see Magnus.” _

_ “You don’t speak Japanese or ever shown an interest in the culture besides sushi, you can barely stand Simon and Maia when they start debating anime, the only people we know, and even then distantly, living in Tokyo are the Penhollows...” she said, ticking items off with her fingers, “... and Magnus Bane, who is currently working on an art installation in Tokyo. You’re chasing your boyfriend across the ocean!” _

_ Alec groaned, hating his sister’s detective brain. Trust the forensic anthropologist in the making to read him in under 10 seconds. “Magnus isn’t my boyfriend.” _

_ “Magnus isn’t your boyfriend,” Izzy huffed, clearly not believing him. “Magnus Bane, whose apartment you’ve spent more time at than your own since meeting him on Valentine’s Day. The same Magnus Bane who made Jace have an existential crisis because he wasn’t the pretty one, who makes you smile everytime you receive a text message from him, who at the very mention of his name in the last three minutes has made the corner of your lip tug in a smile?” Izzy pointed to Alec’s mouth where a smirk was forming. Alec forced himself to stop smiling and put on his best ‘I’m your big brother’ face. Izzy didn’t care. “He’s not your boyfriend?” _

_ “I-, I… he…we got into a fight. And now...“ _

_ When words failed to come to Alec, he raised his hand and then let it thump against the comforter with a small thump. Izzy took pity on her older brother, gently patting him on his shoulder.  _

_ “Alec,” she said, “you care about Magnus. He cares about you. It’s okay.” _

_ “It’s a little hard to make up and work things out when you’re in two separate countries.” _

_ “Technology is a wonderful thing, big brother. Use it. Surely Magnus’s face is a better sight than the books you have your nose stuck in all day.” At Alec’s dramatic eye roll, she laughed. “Just don’t do what you always do.” _

_ “And what’s that?” he groused. _

_ “Overthink things.” _

_ “I don’t overthink things.” _

_ “Yes, you do, big brother,” she sighed, wrapping a hand around his head and dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “Alec in the last couple of months, this is the happiest I’ve seen you. What you and Magnus have is real. If anyone can make it work, it’s the two of you.” _

_ Alec wrapped his arms around her stomach in a loose hug. With a fond smile he asked, “When did you get to be so smart?” _

_ “I’ve always been the smart one, Alec.The better question is why haven’t you bought your plane ticket yet? ,” she quipped, bopping him on the nose. Pointing to the screen, she said, “That looks like a good one.” _

_ Alec groaned and shoved her off the bed, much to his sister’s chagrin. Conceding, she made her way out of his bedroom, but stopped at the door.  _

_ “Hey Alec?” When he looked up at her, she smiled. “You’re an idiot. Go after your man.” _

_ Alec rolled his eyes, throwing a pillow in her direction. She yelped and blocked it with the door, poking her head back in to add, “Oh, yeah. I want to meet him when the two of you make up.” _

_ Alec threw his other pillow at the door. This time the door closed and remained closed. Gathering his pillows from the floor, he sat back on his bed and contemplated the flights in front of him. He could do this. He could go get his man. _

* * *

 

Back in Tokyo, Alec took another sip of his wine, hoping to spot Magnus and at the same time avoid him all together. 

“You! I know you!”

Alec turned to where another gentlemen was approaching him with a jovial, polite smile. “You’re Alexander!”

Alec nodded along hesitantly. “Yes. I’m sorry, but you are…?”

The other man laughed, patting Alec’s shoulder in good measure. “Forgive me. I’m Duncan, one of the resident artists on display.” He gave Alec a small bow before shaking a finger at him. “But you, you I would recognize instantly. Any muse of Magnus Bane is worthy of being remembered.”

“I’m sorry. Again, I don’t understand.”

“Magnus Bane’s  _ Alexander _ series?” Duncan jerked a thumb behind his shoulder to the maze of freestanding white walls, creating an impromptu art gallery in the park. “It’s been one of the highlights of the evening. Everyone is saying it’s some of Bane’s best work.”

“I... “ Alec shook his head before asking, “Can you show me?”

Duncan recognized the bewilderment on Alec’s face and nodded kindly to him. “Yeah, follow me.”

Duncan lead Alec through the gallery rows, barely glancing at the art displayed there, before coming to a stop. Duncan waved to a plaque on the wall stating Magnus Bane: Alexander series. “The rest of the row is dedicated to the Alexander series. Enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Alec nodded to him. 

Duncan disappeared into the crowd and Alec began to wander into the hallway, a mix of awe and wonder at how Magnus depicted him taking hold. These were nothing like the clay models sculpted to look like Edo-period woodcuts of samurai and geishas. There were his hands, fingers splayed and palms facing upwards or laid at rest next to each other. His brow furrowed and hissing at the taste of alcohol on his tongue from their first date. Another of him laughing at something, the muscles of his shoulders hinting at arms clutching his waist.

He could hear whispers as he stopped and stared at each one. His back in a ¾ view showing off his tattoos, which Magnus had reproduced with startling clarity.  All of these minute aspects of himself that Alec would never have had expected Magnus to commit to memory, much less to pen and paper. Or was it paint on canvas? Alec wasn’t sure and didn’t care, too amazed at every reproduction of himself. 

As he wandered along, he stopped in front of a large painting, almost twice the size of him and three times in length. Magnus had turned him into angel, wings rising against a heavenly sky and a halo of golden light burning behind him. Alec could tell that Magnus had poured his heart and soul into this painting as the halo highlighted each vein of the angel’s feathers. The angel, bare from the chest up and holding a bow at his hip, looked off into the distance as if he was if he was following the trajectory of the last arrow he had fired. Alec wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be an avenging angel or Cupid choosing his next target. Either way, the painting pulled at something within him. 

The mingling crowd around him parted and Alec felt his breath catch in his chest, and not due to the painting. If he thought seeing how Magnus saw him depicted on the gallery walls had taken his breath away earlier, seeing the man in question, chatting animatedly to an small audience of critics, was like a bolt of lightning running through his system. Every hair on his body felt electrified and attuned to Magnus, drawing him nearer by an unseen force. 

Magnus had his back to him, dressed in a cranberry red, tailored suit and sparking gold ear cuff, head thrown back laughing. Magnus didn’t see him approach, but one of his critics did. 

“Ah, here’s the muse of the night,” the critic said, as Alec came to stand just behind and to the side of Magnus. 

Magnus turned to follow where the man’s hand was waving a warm welcome with curious amusement. When Magnus’s gaze landed on Alec’s face, curiosity turned to shock. “I- uh, Alexander.”

“Yes! Our Alexander,” the critic said, coming round to shake Alec’s hand exuberantly. “An angel come to life, if Bane’s work has anything to say about it.”

Alec cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed at all of the attention directed at him that evening. “Please, call me Alec.”

“Alec, yes.” The critic gained a mischievous gleam in his eye as he clapped Alec on the shoulder. “Tell me, Alec, what was it like working as a model for the great Magnus Bane? To be the muse of an artist of his caliber is such a great honor. You’ll be immortalized for centuries in the minds of scholars studying Bane’s masterpieces.”

“I, uh, I didn’t know I was even a model?” Alec said, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. Waving at the artwork surrounding them, he continued, “I’m surprised by all of this as much as you are.”

“Yes, Alexander, this is a surprise.” Magnus’s calm voice contradicted the  _ what the hell _ being communicated silently from behind his eyes. 

“Um, yeah the Penhollows are old family friends. They helped me secure a spot when I mentioned wanting to come support you.”

“Hmm, well then,” Magnus said as he snagged a champagne flute from a passing waiter and passed it to Alec, “to a successful show.”

The group joined in on the toast with cheers of ‘kanpai’ and ‘here, here”. 

A middle aged-woman, draped in pearls and looking at the world from the tip of her nose, spoke up next. “A successful show indeed. I am a curator and work for and with several modern art museums around the world. We were just speaking to Mr. Bane about a tour of the Latin Americas for the series - all the finest museums in Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico.” She waved off the countries as she listed them. “And of course, we’d want to have Mr. Bane travel with his show.”

Alec practically choked on his drink at that and set it down on the small table in front of him. “That’s, uh, that’s a lot of countries.”

“True,” Magnus hummed, fiddling with the cuff at his ear. “I’ve also been approached this evening about possibly promoting the  _ Alexander _ series in France and Italy as well.”

Magnus’s nonchalance at the possibility of doing a world tour with his artwork had Alec’s thoughts spiraling. Tonight was supposed to be about surprising the man he was… seeing, dating? Not finding out that Magnus was being courted to travel around the world. When Alec had imagined tonight, it had been with pleased smiles and kisses. Not the person he was falling for talk about leaving him as if he was talking about the weather. But maybe that had been Magnus’s plan all along. Maybe Magnus already thought he had left Alec behind in New York as a pleasant memory. Maybe that had been Magnus’s plan all along - a bit of fun and then move on. But if he was already planning on leaving him, Alec thought as his eyes scanned over the angel painting, why do all of this? Why draw him over and over again?

Magnus’s hand coming to rest at the small of his back pulled Alec from his thoughts and back to reality. “I find it uncouth to talk work at parties,” he said with a curt nod to the curator. “Reach out to Ragnor Fell if you wish to talk about work. The two of you should have your own party. Now if you will excuse us.”

Magnus set his drink down next to Alec’s and steered him through the gallery. As they passed through the crowds and out of the exhibit area, Alec looked over confused at Magnus.    


“Uh, Magnus…?”

“Shhh, Alexander.” 

Magnus the small of Alec’s back for clasping his hand, tugging him to a pathway through a grove of trees, lighted up be stands of lights hung over their heads among the tree branches. Once they were far away enough from the crowds for him, Magnus pivoted on his heel to crush Alec into a hug. 

“You’re here,” Magnus said into Alec’s neck. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Alec hesitantly brought his hands up to wrap them around Magnus’s waist. Resting his cheek on Magnus’s shoulder, he asked, “You’re not mad?”

Magnus pulled back incredulously at that. “Mad? No, why would you think that?”

“We…When we last-, and you earlier…” Alec shook his head, trying to find the words. “Earlier, when I showed up at the table, it was almost as if you didn’t care that I was there. Or want me there.”

Magnus’s eyes widen in realization. “Oh, that,” he said with a laugh and a wave. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy to see you. It was everyone surrounding us. The art community is filled with gossips and people who put too much value into something. See too much. I’ve found it best to control my reactions and emotions around them.”

“Oh. uh, okay.” Alec took a step back, rubbing at the back of his neck embarrassingly. Looking around, he asked, “So where are we?”

“Hmm? There are sakura trees lining this entire path.” At Alec’s confused look, he clarified, “Cherry blossom trees. They’re quite beautiful actually.”

“They’re all green. I’d thought they’d be more..blossom-y,” Alec said, waving his hand at the grove. 

Magnus hid a chuckle behind his hand before sighing. “Yes, they’re supposed to be. They bloomed early this year. I managed to catch the tail end of them in bloom. It was quite lovely.  And all I could think was, ‘I wish Alexander was here.’ So I found myself sitting underneath the trees in my free time sketching….” Magnus glanced over at Alec. “You.”

For the first time since he had known Magnus, this was the most nervous he had seen the other man. Alec reached across to squeeze Magnus’s hand in reassurance. It seemed to work as Magnus took a deep, courageous sigh. 

“I literally filled pages upon pages with your image. Hands, face, smile, the way you looked first thing in the morning. Anything I could recall. Everytime I put my pencil to paper to work on the art exhibit,” Magnus gnawed at his lip, “you came to mind. One day, one of the sponsors of the show saw the sketches and requested to have them showcased. Part of me wanted to say no, that they were too personal. But part of me wanted to show you off to the world. To say, look at what I managed to find. This man who is courageous and kind. Who laughs with everything he has and tells dumb jokes about an elephant in a tree.” 

Alec snorted softly in memory of that one. He had overhead from a tourist one day at work. Something about an elephant eating peaches in a tree that he had brought from home. Magnus bumped shoulders only to smile up at him as well. 

“I honestly thought you’d never see these. Tokyo is a long way from New York,” Magnus said ruefully with an embarrassed shrug. His eyes widen as he continued in a rush, “Not that I don’t want you here. I’m mean it’s a lovely surprise. It’s just… unexpected.”

“Because of how we left things.”

“Yes.” 

“I’m not really sure why I flew out myself,” Alec said, his unoccupied hand scratching at the back of his head. “ I- I mean, I may have overstepped some major boundaries by coming here. I know we’re not, you know, serious or anything,”

Magnus turned to Alec, confusion written over his face. “Why would you think that?”

Alec stared at Magnus as if he couldn’t believe what just came out of his mouth. “Magnus, you’re Magnus  _ Bane _ ! You have all of these opportunities, offers waiting for you. I mean it’s that every artist’s dream? **”** Magnus tilted his head, smiling wryly, and shrugged. Alec shook his head in disbelief. “What? Why…? There’s nothing stopping you from leaving New York and chasing them.”

_ From leaving me _ , he thought, nibbling at his lip.

Magnus cupped Alec’s cheeks with both hands. “Why wouldn’t I come back to New York? Look at what I have waiting for me.”

Alec grasped Magnus’s wrists in a loose grip and closed his eyes, almost as if in pain. “Please, Magnus,” he whispered harshly, “please you’re confusing me. Can you, can you please just say what you mean for once?”

Magnus’s thumbs brushed Alec’s cheeks gently before he took a step back, cradling Alec’s hands in his. “What I mean is this - I know I can be a lot, and I know I can be all over the place, but the one thing I'm sure of is you. Alexander Lightwood, would you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?”

Alec opened his eyes and scoffed softly at the man in front of him, who was waiting on his answer with a wry smile. 

“I- You- uh…” Alec fumbled with his words as he searched Magnus’s eyes. Dark brown eyes seemed that much more amber underneath the fairy lights crisscrossing above their heads, however there was nothing but sincerity shining out of them. Alec pinched his nose, laughing at the entire situation. The deep sigh he took to ground himself did nothing to stop the shaking of his shoulders. When he locked gazes with Magnus, his voice was steady. “Yes, Magnus Bane, I would be honored to be your boyfriend.”

Magnus’s eyes flicked back and forth between his, taking a step closer to Alec and kissing him softly. Alec could feel Magnus’s smile against his lips and knew he was smiling just as much, if not more. With an appreciative hum, he pulled Magnus closer till they were standing chest to chest, breathing each other in. Their kiss deepened in a mix of tongues and teeth, until the need to breathe became too much for either of them. Forehead to forehead, they let the giddiness and euphoria rush over them while fingers and palms ran over backs and biceps. 

After a moment, Alec cleared his throat. “You know, um, my sister, Izzy, she’s going to want to meet you.”

“I’d like that, Alexander,” Magnus said, sounding slightly awed, but happy nonetheless. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

Alec smiled and snagged another kiss from his boyfriend, just because he could. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for everyone who wanted to see more from these guys! You are the reason I have made this a series now. :D
> 
> If you want to know what the angel painting looks like you can find it [here](https://instagram.com/p/Bczk2bjFW9t/)! (Disclaimer: This was not created for this fic, but did help inspire parts of it.)  
> The artist is the wonderful [max_maks_art](https://instagram.com/max_maks_art/). Go like their stuff!
> 
> As always, you can come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://bcnedrah.tumblr.com/)!


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